The present invention relates generally to an electronic device which is preferably applied to an IEEE 1394 interface and to an electronic apparatus which incorporates such electronic device and to a method for acquiring model information of a module. It relates more particularly to an electronic device wherein memory means to which another electronic device can access directly, has a plurality of storage areas for storing electronic devices"" model information, thereby allowing the other electronic device to easily acquire model information of a predetermined electronic device such as a module to be connected with the electronic device.
As an example of an electronic device, an IEEE 1394 interface unit included in a video cassette recorder (VCR) and connectable to an IEEE 1394 bus has been illustratively suggested. This IEEE 1394 interface unit includes a configuration ROM on which various kinds of information about the interface unit are stored. This configuration ROM is accessible directly from another electronic device so that the device can easily fetch the information from the configuration ROM.
The configuration ROM is provided with a storage area for storing model information. The model information stored on the storage area comprises a model identifier (ID) for identifying the model of the interface unit. If the model of the interface unit differs from that of the module, for example, the VCR, which is connected to this interface unit, only the model information of the interface unit can be acquired even when the configuration ROM is accessed from said another electronic device.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic device or the like allowing such another electronic device to easily acquire the model information of the predetermined electronic devices such as a module to which the electric device is connected.
According to the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by an electronic device comprising memory which is directly accessible from another electronic device. The memory includes a plurality of storage areas for storing electronic devices"" model information. For example, the memory includes first and second storage areas. The first storage area stores model information of the electronic device itself while the second storage area stores mod information of a predetermined electronic device such as a module which is connected with this electronic device.
Furthermore, an electronic apparatus according to the present invention comprises a first electronic device and a second electronic device which is connected with the first electronic device. In this electronic apparatus, the first electronic device incorporates memory which is directly accessible from another electronic device. This memory means includes at least a storage area for storing model information of the first electronic device and a storage area for storing model information of the second electronic device.
In addition, the present invention provides a method of acquiring model information of the module. In this method, when such another electronic device accesses a memory in an electronic device connected to the module, it may acquire model information of said module. This allows such another electronic device to acquire the model information of the module.
The electronic device according to the present invention has memory means, which is accessible directly from another electronic device, as described above. For example, this memory means includes at least the storage area for storing model information of the first electronic device and another storage area for storing model information of the predetermined electronic device such as a module (or the second electronic device). In this arrangement, when the memory means is accessed from any other electronic device, model information of the predetermined electronic device, for example, the module can be acquired relatively simply.
The model information to be acquired in this way includes a model identifier for identifying the electronic device""s model and user interface information on the model (textual data and icon data).
The concluding portion of this specification particularly points out and distinctly claims the subject matter of the present invention. However those skilled in the art will best understand both the organization and method of operation of the invention, together with further advantages and objects thereof, by reading the remaining portions of the specification in view of the accompanying drawing(s) wherein like reference characters refer to like elements.